Hikikomori
by VannuroRB
Summary: Now alone after the death of his mother, Yami has to now face being on his own for the rest of his life. That was what he thought, at least, until he takes in a lodger by chance.
1. Chapter 1

Now, before I start this story, I have a, well, a kind of disclaimer I suppose.

I mean no offense to anyone. I'm trying not to stereotype or say that certain things link to certain people and whatnot, it's just part of the story and stuff. I only want to show support in some format or the other, and that's usually with fictional stories.

Sorry I'm so lame! Haha!

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><p>Chapter 1-A Search Among The Stars<p>

He figured he was what was called a Hikikomori.

In general knowledge, a Hikikomori was someone who withdrew from society, often shutting themselves in their rooms and not coming out for extended periods of time. That was exactly how Yami would describe himself.

Ever since he was young, he always had a problem with other people, but everyone passed it off as shyness. Even he did. Of course, it did not help when the other children decided to tease him, using his often present silence as a reason to bully him, and furthering his wish to detach from the strangers around him.

In hindsight, he felt that he should have told one of his parents, but at the time, he went against his better judgement. His mother had always been overprotective of him, so the thought of telling her anything that could give the risk of her doing something drastic was always something Yami avoided. And his father, a busy salaryman, was always expecting Yami to live up to the tradition of working hard and keeping his head held high, the last person Yami expected to give caring advice.

By the time Yami had graduated from junior high, and was expecting to take a high school exam, was when it finally started to manifest in greater degrees. Though he took the exam, he hardly attended school, often preferring to shut himself in his room rather than facing the ordeal of the outside world—including his parents at times.

When they realised that there was a problem with Yami, that was when the arguing began. His father, still adamant about Yami filling the social norm of what a boy his age should be, could not fathom why Yami avoided school, and tried to blame it on several reasons, including Yami's mother's way of raising him. His mother, thankfully, was on his side. Though she did not fully understand it herself, she valued her son, and tried to make every excuse and reason to let him do what he wished. After a few months of arguing between the two, Yami's father finally reached the limit, and gave his wife an option; her husband or her son.

She chose her son.

Shortly afterwards, Yami's father left for a supposed better life, and never came back.

The thought that he caused his parents breakup only sunk him further into guilt and self-loathe. But no matter what he thought, even if he never expressed it, his mother would always remind him that she was there for him, and that he had nothing to fear about.

To look after Yami, his mother took up work to provide for an income, and to support her son. Seeing how hard his mother worked stung deep, wishing he could help in some way, preferably a job of his own to provide extra. But having been cooped up in his home for several years made it hard, dreading and fearing taking any step outside his home at all. He had to live with the burden of being a nuisance to his mother.

Yami lived his school years out at his home, and into his twenties, relying on his mother to support him for everyday needs. Though hating the idea of using his mother as a means to survive, he was happy to stay at home, away from the outside world he had grown to dislike over the years.

Then, six months before, his mother fell ill, and subsequently died.

A funeral was held, but Yami did not attend, too worried about what his other relatives, whom he had not seen much of his life, would think about him. But by the time the funeral had started, Yami came to the conclusion his relatives would think little of him for not attending, but it was too late to change his mind.

Now alone at home, Yami dealt with a pool of mixed emotions. Mourning for the loss of his mother, Yami now had the fear of a lone survival, and being alone only fuelled it further. Though he inherited the house and some money from his mother, he knew that sooner or later it would run out, and that thought terrified him. What would happen to him if he could not afford to stay in his home? He was certain that his father would not take him in—not that he particularly wanted to be with him anyway—and there was no one else he could rely on, so being homeless was his only option. And if he reached that point, he knew it was the lowest of the low, and there would be no hope for him then.

Despite that fear being prevalent, there was nothing he could to avoid that future, so waited for it to come around sooner or later.

Hearing an owl outside the window, Yami opened his eyes, waking himself from his slumber. His head was rested on the table, the heater underneath warming his legs from the chilly October day. Though the living room was dark from the late hour of the night, he could make out the small shrine of his mother in the faint moonlight coming through the window. The doors to it were open, allowing the picture to reflect some of the light back, almost hiding his mother behind the sheen of light.

After staring for a few more moments, Yami finally lifted himself off of the table, and looked to the clock to check the time. It happened to be a few minutes past midnight. With a groan, Yami rubbed his head lightly, trying to recall what he had been doing before he fell asleep. Not that he found it important, but it would fill in the gap of his memory before falling asleep.

Deciding that his bed would be more comfortable, Yami leaned underneath the table to turn the heater off, and stand up so the blanket fell from his legs. Stretching his arms as he walked, Yami shut the shrine doors and walked around to check if the doors were still locked. Once coming to the front door, Yami stopped, staring at the wood while his hand hung loosely on the handle.

It had been six months since his mother died. He had not heard from his father, or any other family relative, so he presumed that they did not want to talk to him. They did not even tell him where his mother was buried. The town had a graveyard, he knew that much, but he had no reason to visit beforehand, and was unsure as to where it was. He knew that it was somewhere outside of town, but the town was large, and the outside of it was even larger by scale. Even so, he felt that, for avoiding the funeral, he should at least know where his mother's grave was.

Yami turned the handle, and opened the door slightly, looking out onto the night cloaked street. As suspected for the middle of the night, it was empty, desolate of any life for the night, and as he thought, it would stay quiet until the next morning.

Slipping on his shoes, Yami stepped outside of his house, giving one last cautious look up and down the street, before leaving in search of the graveyard.

The streets were eerily quiet as Yami walked down them; however, he felt that he preferred them that way. With absolute silence, Yami could hear anything that would come his way, and would give him a chance to avoid it. The downside, though, was that it amplified his thoughts voices louder, and his thoughts were still lost in the sea of grief from his mother, his future, and everything.

After half an hours walk, he came to a road that left the town, so decided to follow it first. Yami was not sure if it led to the graveyard, the town looked almost unrecognizable to him from his childhood, he just had to walk each road leading out until he came across it.

With a trek up the road, with nothing but pushed out woodlands, Yami got the feeling that the graveyard was not up the road he was following. He gave a sigh, and was about to turn back, but noticed a clearing between two trees. Intrigued, Yami climbed his way towards it and looked around the empty area.

There was nothing particularly interesting to note of the area; a grassy open area, devoid of any tree or flower after a certain radius. A completely plain, and hidden, meadow. Looking around, Yami noticed the trees growing at a slope, giving the impression that the road he had followed previously had been going up a hill, and the trees that grew below blocked out the view of the nearest homes in a green mess.

Watching the peaceful and serene surroundings, Yami lifted his head, noticing the night sky for the first time. It was near pitch black, with small white dots that were stars, and a crescent moon nestled amongst the flurry of stars. A simple, yet captivating view, Yami found. He ended up staring at the sky for a while, letting a gentle breeze brush by him, stroking over any bare skin that was on his arms and face.

"_Yami, no matter what happens, I love you"._

The sound of his mother's voice echoing, not only in his mind, but around him in the surrounding area was enough to make his body quake. Tears sprung to his eyes, and though he fought them back by biting his lip, as soon as he lost grip a shaky gasp came through before he wailed. Tears ran down his cheeks, dripping off his chin and onto his shirt, as he sobbed as loudly as his voice would allow him.

"Mother!" Yami cried as he rubbed his eyes "Mum!"

Yami fell to his knees, sobbing as loud as he could, before his body fell to the ground and he lay in a state of despair. With a stab to his chest and tears running freely down his face, Yami wished that the earth would swallow him whole, take away the pain and his life altogether. He was certain that if that happened, it would be a better solution for everyone involved.

"What's wrong?" A gentle hand touched his hair, and when Yami realised that he was not alone as he first thought, tucked his head into his arms in hope that they would leave him alone. But with his constant snivelling, a clear sign that he was the opposite of happy, he had a sickly feeling that they would not abandon him "Are you hurt?"

Yami said nothing, keeping his wet washed eyes pressed into his arm, in a frail attempt to stop his own tears. He particularly did not want to be comforted at that moment, especially by a stranger.

Yami kept silent for a few moments, the person waiting patiently for an answer, before their hand began to stroke Yami's hair in a calming and soothing way. Something akin to how a mother caressed her child, which only brought more tears to Yami.

"Did you lose your mother?" The person asked.

It was only natural for them to ask, not but a few minutes ago, Yami had been desperately calling to his mother as if she would magically appear. Thinking the idea was stupid just brought about a new batch of tears to soak his arm with.

"Hm?" The person hummed, encouraging Yami to give some sort of response.

When figuring that the silent treatment would not chase the person away, he opened his mouth to try and say something, though was quickly overcome with shaky gasps for air with small hiccups.

"I-I'm…a-alone…" Yami shakily pushed out, pressing his face further into his arm in shame.

"Oh, I see" The person paused briefly, watching Yami try to steady his breath, but to no avail "Well, would you like me to accompany you then?"

The offer rang in Yami's ears. He kept still for a moment, thinking he had misheard or misunderstood, so let the person repeat the question. But the other said nothing, forcing Yami to peak out from between his arms to show his shock. When he parted his arms to let a single eye look out, he met a spectacular view.

A colour of bright violet, as bright as the stars overhead, was staring down at Yami. Though there was no logical way for the eyes to be shining bright, they were the most dominant feature Yami locked onto it, absorbed by the clear and almost mystical quality the eyes had. He was so intrigued by the design and intriguing quality, he almost forgot that the pair of eyes was attached to a person, who was smiling down at him in a friendly manner.

Taken in by the blindingly bright sight, Yami forgot that he was addressing another person, and that there was a question waiting for his answer. With his mind blank on any reason, void of any fear, Yami mumbled out a small and feeble answer.

"Y-Yes…"

The man gave another cheery smile, taking his hand off of Yami to stand up, before holding it out to him. Rather unsure, Yami simply stared at the outstretched hand, as if no one had ever given their hand for him to touch.

"Well, we shouldn't be out here for long, it's late" The man responded "Let's go home".

Though shaky from his crying fit, Yami reached out to take hold of the man's hand, who gave him a hard tug up onto his feet. Once taking balance, Yami looked over the person again, noting that he was somewhat smaller than Yami but still held a very large presence. Whoever this person was, and whatever his reason was to help Yami, there was a small part of Yami that, despite trying to avoid people, he was happy that he had met that person.

********************************End of chapter 1*****************************

Because I just love vague openings.

So, two guesses on who this mysterious person with lovely eyes is. Come on, I'm giving you a chance here, take it.

Review if you like!


	2. Chapter 2

I have a feeling I'm going to regret writing this one. Really do.

But, that's not gonna stop me; curiosity killed the cat. Or tenacity killed the writer, one of those two.

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><p>Chapter 2-Perhaps Not So Bad<p>

Yami gave a groan as he began to wake up. His head felt numb, as if he had been struck on the back of the head by something heavy. Running a sluggish hand over his face, Yami looked up at the clock sat on his desk, reading the time as quarter past seven. It was too early.

With another groan, Yami buried his head in his pillow, hoping he could drift off to sleep again and wake in another couple of hours. As he attempted to slumber, he tried to recall how he got back to his bed from the previous night. He remembered he decided to try and find the cemetery, but he found himself lost, and distracted by the clear night sky. And that someone had seen him, and his utter embarrassment upon being discovered, but after that it seemed to blur from tiredness. He wished he could remember, but he was not sure what good it would do if he did.

Floating away on the waves of sleep, a sweet scent came over him, making him breathe a soft sigh of contentment at the nostalgia. A small smile came to him, as he gave his pillow a slight nuzzle.

_Mum's cooking smells great_ Yami thought to himself, giving another sigh, enjoying the time. However, after a few moments of thought, his eyes opened again _Mum…?_

Yami shot up in his bed, throwing his covers wide off his body, and jumped out of bed. He had little time to think, as he pulled open his bedroom door, and rushed down the stairs. The smell grew stronger, the typical breakfast his mother used to cook for him, something he thought he would never experience again.

He came to the kitchen doorway, grabbing onto the wood, and swung his body into the kitchen "Mu-!"

At the sound of Yami's voice, the man turned around, letting Yami see the bright violet eyes of confusion stare back at him. At the spot where Yami had expected to see his mother, the man from the previous night stood, stove turned on with food cooking. He wore a cooking apron over himself, one that was reminiscent of his mothers.

Disappointed and feeling somewhat foolish for thinking otherwise, Yami rested his head against the door, before slowly letting his body slide down until he sat on the floor. He was not quite sure what he expected to find. In the haze of sleepiness, he had hoped the past six months had been some poorly constructed nightmare. The sorrow, the pain, the hopeless despair he had felt, he had hoped it had all been in his mind. A trick of his consciousness to say "wake up, you're a big boy now, can't do this forever". The reality came back to hit him, hard and painfully.

"Are you alright?"

Yami lifted his head up to see the man standing in front of him, a concerned gaze looking over Yami's limp and bundled body, with the apron hanging slightly from his small body. Though there was an abundance of words to describe how he felt, Yami voided his mind of any emotion, focusing on the clothing too big to fit on the man.

"That's…my mum's…" Yami explained weakly.

"Oh, sorry" The man apologised as his fingers ended up playing with the edge of the apron "It's just that I couldn't find a spare one, and it was hanging up so…I thought it was used by you, I'm sorry".

Yami gave the apron a heavy gaze. Though he knew he had left it hung up like it was still in use, he wondered how this man, how anyone, could have thought about taking something to use without asking. But as he thought about that, more interesting questions popped up in his mind; such as why was the man in his house to begin with? Did Yami really allow a stranger to stay in his home?

As Yami was overcome with conflicting thoughts, the man reached behind him, untying the apron from his back "I'll put it back if you want. I'm really sorry".

The man then hurried back to the kitchen, slipping the apron on its personal hook, and giving it a small pat down before returning to the food. He resumed to cooking the sweet smelling breakfast Yami had been enticed by before.

Figuring that sitting on the floor for too long would be deemed as odd, Yami managed to pull himself back up to his feet, and watched with interest. The man seemed to be dressed in ordinary clothes, with no defining accent to him; Yami was not even sure what his name was. To let a total stranger in his house, Yami felt like he must have had a lapse of judgement the previous night.

"Ah, you can sit down if you like" Yami gave a startled jump when he realised he was being talked to "Breakfast will be ready in a minute, so please wait".

Without being able to find a way to avoid the situation, Yami pulled out a chair from the table, and sat to wait.

He was stuck. He had never thought about being in this situation, a stranger inside his house, which would require his full attention. Deliverymen were another matter, he knew they would never stick around for too long, or happen to inquire deeply about his personal nature. But someone who was cooking him breakfast, and had stayed the night prior, Yami knew it would lead to all the bad questions he wanted to avoid. He prayed that the least that would happen was that the man would cook breakfast, eat, and then leave without a care. Yami was used to being abandoned, so he would be accustomed to that again.

The man approached him with a plate, and set it down in front of Yami, giving a cheerful smile to Yami's dazed gaze. An ordinary breakfast was set out in front of him. The man returned to the kitchen to bring his own breakfast to the table, and took the seat opposite Yami's, another blissfully unaware smile gracing his lips.

He put his hands together, and bowed slightly "Thanks for the meal!" He said, and begun eating.

Yami copied the motion, albeit slower and cautiously "Th-Thanks for the meal…" He mumbled, and looked down at the food in front of him.

It looked nice, and smelt great too, so he was certain it would taste fine as well. But he could not remember the last time he had to eat in front of someone else, and he certainly did not want to start the habit with the man in front of him. Still, to not eat the meal that had been so graciously cooked for him was rude, even for his standards. If he ate a little, he reassured himself, then it would be ample.

So he took a small bite, trying to keep his eyes away from the man, as he tasted his small morsel. Unsurprisingly, it tasted good.

"Um" The man spoke up, getting Yami to look up slightly "My name's Yugi. I didn't tell you last night so…it's Yugi".

Yami gave a hum, and after playing with his food for a few thoughtful moments, finally replied with "I-I'm…Yami…Aten…"

Yugi gave a happy smile, and after waiting for Yami to take another bite, asked "Yami, is it alright if I stay here?"

Yami felt his stomach tense, and his throat close in, making him near choke on the bite he was chewing on. Once regaining his ability to control his body, Yami swallowed the food he held in his mouth, and gave Yugi a rather shocked expression.

"Wh-What?"

"I can pay you rent if that's the problem" Yugi then pursed his lips in thought "Well…once I find a job that is, I'm unemployed but…I'll do my best so, is it okay to live under your roof?"

_He's…kidding, right?_ Yami thought to himself, but after a quiet pause between the two, Yami felt his spine tense rigid. _He's not joking! He really wants to live here! Why?! We've only just met! What do I do?! What can I say?! I can't just let anyone stay here, right? Will he get offended if I say no? I could use the money but…living with someone else…that'd be awkward. Mum, what do I do?_

Yugi then tilted his head "Um…Yami? Is there…a problem?"

Yami bit back his lip, ducking his head to avoid Yugi's gaze, as a spiral of thoughts whirled around in his head. Yugi kept an inquisitive look, despite being silent, as if he could eat away at Yami's consciousness. It was unbearable to sit in front of the large curious eyes for too long.

Yami got up from his seat, keeping silent, and turned to walk out of the kitchen. Though Yugi called to him, Yami did not respond, and kept going until he was walking up the stairs and back to his room. He needed to find peace, to be able to think freely without the stare gnawing on his body, and to be alone.

As he shut the door to his bedroom behind him, he gave a sigh and sunk to his knees again, burying his head within his hands. If there had been any thought of Yami being a normal person by Yugi, it was most certainly gone by then. Who would think that leaving the dinner table in complete silence was anything but abnormal?

Yami kept sat by his bedroom door for a few moments, expecting to hear Yugi's voice, pleading to know what was going on or to attempt to open the bedroom door. But it was completely silent downstairs. Perhaps Yugi had taken the antisocial behaviour as a negative answer, and already left, in a seemingly quiet fashion. Though Yami had a suspicion that was not the case.

With a sigh, Yami got up from his spot, and moved over to the TV in his room. Once standing in front of it, he knelt down, and looked over his game collection.

_Think…need to think…_Yami pondered to himself for a moment, before he took out a game, and slotted it into the appropriate console.

He had always had the knack for video games, and since he had played them so regularly throughout his life, he would always use them as an excuse to do some hard thinking. So as Yami played through the game he had picked out, pressing buttons in an unrecognisable rhythm, he let his mind wander and ponder over his current predicament.

_Letting someone room…_Yami thought, eyes never peeling away from the screen. _I have enough room for another person…but…it's not really a matter if I can or not, is it? A stranger in my home…what would he think of me? He would hate me, given enough time, and he'd want to move out as soon as possible. So would it be unfair if I were to just…quicken the inevitable? Upright tell him no? Though I want to…he'd probably demand a reason as to why and…I don't think I can give him one. Nor can I lie to him…such a troublesome situation._

As Yami came to the end of the level he was playing, the screen portraying the results of his playing, he gave a sigh and massaged his forehead.

_If only real life flowed like a game does…I could beat it flawlessly, time and time again…_

"Wow! Perfect score!"

Yami jumped at the sudden voice and turned to his side. Sat on his knees, with an expression of excitement and admiration, was Yugi by Yami's side. His eyes were glued to the screen in front of them, reading the numbers and words that were displayed, as if they had been doused in gold.

"H-How did you get in?!" Yami managed to spit out.

Yugi finally turned his gaze to Yami, a perplexed look competing with Yami's alarmed look "Through the door?"

Yami turned around to look at his bedroom door, seeing that it was slightly open, wide enough for someone to slip in unnoticed and sit next to Yami.

_Doesn't he have some decency towards privacy?_ Yami thought.

"I wondered where you went" Yugi explained, before looking to the screen "Hey, is perfecting a level a good thing?"

Yami faced Yugi again, a faint blush coming to his cheeks as he realised Yugi had been watching him play the game in silence, and hid his face once more.

"I…I-I don't know…" Yami mumbled quietly.

"Hm? Well…is it an easy thing to do?"

"Not…really…?" Yami mused, his thumbs rolling lightly over the buttons "You'd…have to be…quite good to do it…I suppose".

"Then, it's a good thing, right?" Yugi pulled a grin, and held his ankles lightly "To be able to do something not everyone can do, that's impressive isn't it? So don't be shy about it!"

_I don't think being good at video games is something to be proud of though…_Yami thought to himself, but then frowned when another important thought came to mind "Yugi…uh…wh-where did you sleep last night?"

"Oh, the spare room".

With a sudden worry flooding over him, Yami set aside the controller to stand up, leaving his room. Yami then looked down the corridor to his mother's room. The door was shut like it normally was, but as Yugi had proven moments ago, it was simple to open and close a door behind him.

Yami marched over to the door, opening it and looking inside the room. It remained the same as before however, unchanged, unused, stilled in the time where it had been used prior. If Yugi had been in the room before, he had done a perfect job to put everything back in its proper order.

"Um" Yami looked over his shoulder to see Yugi standing behind him, pointing to the door next to them, the other spare room "I slept in this room".

"Ah…is that so?" Yami breathed a sigh, shutting the door again "Good…"

"It looked like it was important" Yugi explained, hands behind his back "So, I didn't want to disrupt it. I'll be sure to ask you from now on if there are things you don't want me to touch or places you don't want me to go".

"N-No, that's not…" Yami pursed his lips as he stared down at Yugi. _He's really determined to stay here, isn't he? If I say no…he'll get really upset won't he? Well I…I have the space and…the rent money could be useful so…so maybe it…it won't be too bad…_

"You…y-you can stay…" Yami stammered out.

"Yay!" Yugi cheered, throwing his arms up in the air, and startling Yami in fear he would be brought in for a tight hug "Thank you so much Yami! I promise I'll start paying you as soon as I find a job!"

"S-Sure…"

"Um, also" Yugi brought his hands down, fingers playing and wrapping around each other, like a child would when they were shy "I was wondering…what's the thing downstairs in the living room?"

"Uh…t-thing?" Yami repeated.

"The table, I've never seen one like that before".

Yami tilted his head slightly "The…kotatsu?"

"A kotatsu?" Yugi gave a thoughtful hum, before turning on his heels, and jogging back downstairs.

Curious about what Yugi was going to do, Yami followed him downstairs at a slower pace, finding him in the living room as he suspected. Yugi was knelt down on one of the cushions, hands on the table, and caressing it like it was an ancient artefact.

"A kotatsu…" Yugi repeated, before smiling brightly "I've learnt something new!"

Yami watched Yugi's innocent joyfulness for a few moments, before moving closer, and sitting on his own cushion. Yugi watched with childlike interest as Yami moved the covers over his legs, reaching under to turn the heater on, before sitting upright again.

"It takes a moment for the heater to warm up" Yami noted.

"Heater?" Yugi then lifted up the thick blanket, staring underneath the table "Ah! So there is!"

"You'll let the hot air out…"

"Sorry!" Yugi dropped the blanket fast, before scooting further in and tucking it around, making sure there was no gap in the blanket. Content with the tight grip around his legs, Yugi gave Yami another smile "Like this?"

"Uh…yeah. Are you…sure you've never seen a kotatsu before?" It seemed like a redundant question to ask. After all, a kotatsu was a sure sign that winter was coming; it was a staple in many living homes. But the way Yugi acted, as if the idea was completely new and foreign to him, made Yami think otherwise.

"Is it normal to have one?" Yugi asked.

"Uh…I…I don't know…" Yami answered, and turned his head away. He started to feel embarrassed again. For all he knew, kotatsu may have been out of style by then, and he was stuck behind the new trends in the world. He did not have the right to judge what was deemed normal, considering his behaviour and living adjustments.

"May I?" Yugi asked, reaching over to the bowl of Satsuma's and taking one.

"S-Sure…"

Yugi happily peeled the Satsuma, and as he did so, gave a small shiver "It's starting to warm up!"

"Mm" Yami hummed, feeling the warmth of the heater gracing his legs.

For most of the day, the pair took advantage of the warm space under the table, not moving from their spots and wasting the day in laziness. Though Yugi had tried to strike up several conversations with Yami, seeing how Yami was reluctant to converse properly with him, Yugi did not try to initiate any long or deep topic with Yami. They kept to themselves mostly, with the TV on to provide background noise and some sort of entertainment.

After a while of absolute silence from Yugi, Yami, who had rested his head in his hands, chanced a glance at the other. Yugi had ended up lying on the table, arms crossed over to use as a rest, and facing the direction of the screen. However, as the silence had suggested, Yugi had fallen asleep in his uncomfortable position.

Yami watched him for a few moments, before giving a sigh, and turned to focus on the TV again.

_I'll have to tell him not to sleep under it regularly _Yami thought to himself, idly tapping his fingers against his cheeks. _This…is a really strange situation I'm in. I never thought that…a stranger would be asleep on my table, I still don't, so…did I make a mistake?_

Yugi gave an odd grumble in his sleep, and after nuzzling his face into the crook of his arm, fell peaceful again. Yami felt his head slump slightly in his hands.

_Will it really be okay mum? I have…a bad feeling about this…_

******************************End of chapter 2*******************************

Kotatsu seem pretty cool…I want one…

But yes! Pretty eyes was Yugi all along! Hahahaha! Bet you didn't know that! Eh…maybe you did…

Review and stay tuned for the next chapter!


	3. Chapter 3

Just wanna throw this out there.

Song I listen to for this story? Little wonders by Rob Thomas. Just, you know, if you wanted to know lol.

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><p>Chapter 3-Easily Pleased<p>

As Yami woke up one morning, giving a tired yawn as he stepped out of bed, he decided that he needed a bath. Early morning baths had always felt refreshing, and though he had not taken the greatest care with his hygiene as of late, he still had his limits.

So after grabbing the clothes he wanted to wear that day, and making a stop to grab a towel, he headed to the bathroom. As he gave another yawn, he reached out to take hold of the door handle, only to stop as it moved on its own accord. Startled, Yami recoiled back, and watched as the door opened. Yugi then popped out, seeing the surprised Yami, and smiled at him.

"Good morning Yami" Yugi greeted happily.

"M-Morning…" Yami managed back.

Yugi moved away from the bathroom door, giving enough room for Yami to walk in "Taking a bath?"

"M-Mm" Yami hummed.

"Okay! I'll start cooking breakfast now, so don't take too long!" Yugi turned to walk to the stairs, briefly stopping at the top to give Yami another smile "Have a nice bath!"

Yami kept to his spot until he heard Yugi's feet leave the stairs, and presumably into the kitchen to start the breakfast. He shuffled into the bathroom, and after shutting the door behind him, heaved a heavy sigh.

_I forgot he was here again!_

Though Yugi had been living with Yami for a couple of days, adjusting to the idea that someone new, a stranger no less, was living with him was difficult. The thought had always sounded so absurd, that whenever Yami woke up, he would convince himself it had to be a dream. But he would always get a fright when Yugi, in the flesh, would be waiting for him and ready to cook him breakfast. And even after Yugi would bring him back to the shocking reality of his new lodger, getting used to Yugi was even more difficult, and terrifying in its own way. Yugi was always happy, patient with Yami, and seemed overall friendly. The worst kind of person Yami wanted to deal with.

He seemed like he could talk about anything, but what could Yami talk about to him? He could hardly call himself interesting like other people could, with his sad life cooped up inside a house, with absolutely nothing to boast or hold its own conversation. So talking to Yugi outside the general chat was something Yami avoided constantly. And on top of that, Yugi seemed like an overly affectionate person, and Yami worried if he was supposed to return any kind of affection given—something he was not fully confident he could do. Though he knew that giving a cold shoulder would only deter Yugi away, he still held onto the belief that Yugi would leave one day anyway, so found no point in trying to take the first steps regardless.

Despite that, Yugi was blissfully unaware of Yami's inner turmoil, so remained unchanged around Yami.

After his bath, and after sharing breakfast with Yugi yet again, Yami sat at the kotatsu with the heater on again. He had his book out, and decided to read through it, though found himself distracted.

He could hear Yugi moving around upstairs, which always attracted his eyes to the ceiling, attempting to locate where Yugi was at that point. After a few moments, the sound had moved to the stairs, coming down to the living room door.

"I'm off!" Yugi declared happily "This time I'll get one for sure!"

Yami hummed to show he acknowledged, before turning the page in his book, giving up on the page and figuring he would have better concentration on a new page. Yugi walked closer to Yami, leaning slightly to look over his shoulder to read the book, before moving away satisfied.

"Why don't you come with me?" Yugi suggested. Yami's entire body tensed up "We can find something nice for dinner".

"N-No thanks…" Yami mumbled, hiding his face from Yugi "Y-You should…just go…o-on your own".

"Oh, well okay" Yugi walked back out to the door, stopping only when he had to slip his shoes on "See you later Yami!"

"Bye…" Yami called out, and once the door was shut, gave a sigh and dropped his head.

Every day that Yugi had gone out for job searching, he had always asked if Yami wanted to join him, and every time Yami refused him. Though he was sure Yugi found it odd, he was grateful Yugi did not pry for a reason, gladly letting Yami stay at home to wait for him.

It was several hours later before Yugi returned. Yami lifted his head when he heard the sound of the front door opening, followed by the odd giggles of Yugi as he skipped inside; he was happy, that much Yami knew.

"I'm back!" He called out as he took off his shoes.

"Welcome back" Yami responded, and set his book aside, figuring Yugi wanted to give him a report of his daily activities.

Yugi, as predicted, came straight to the living room and sat by Yami's side. A large, almost psychotic, smile was plastered on Yugi's face.

"I…got a job!" He declared.

"Uh…really?" Yami asked astounded. Prior to Yugi's job hunt, Yugi had admitted to having no spectacular grades, nor had he worked before in his life. Though Yami had little experience in the workplace, Yugi's resume—or lack thereof—did not make him seem like a worker anyone would want. Yami guessed that Yugi would not find any kind of job, but he seemed to be mistaken once again.

"Yeah! It's this nice little convenience store" Yugi explained cheerfully "It's cute. It kind of reminds me of here".

"H-How so…?"

"It's just…nice! Like, a tight family feel, I suppose".

Yami rubbed the back of his neck. He was not quite sure how to take the compliment, but he knew Yugi meant it as a compliment regardless, so tried not to pick holes in it.

"So…when do you start?" Yami queried.

"The manager said next Monday" Yugi answered, leaning in slightly "Though it's part-time, and I'll be back by three, will you be alright on your own?"

"Y-Yeah…don't worry" Yami reassured. He had been on his own for six months, six hours a day seemed trivial in comparison.

"So…do you want rent money now?" Yugi queried, shuffling closer so he pulled the blanket over his legs "How do I give you rent money?"

"Um…hold on a sec".

Yami got up from the table, and went over to the cupboard, giving his mother's picture a brief gaze as he searched through drawers. Yugi tilted his head curiously, waiting until Yami retrieved a piece of paper and a pen, and sat himself back down at the table. Yami laid both the paper and pen on the table, and once sitting his legs under the rug, picked up the pen to use.

"So, uh, how much do you earn?" Yami asked, but quickly added "Do you know?"

"Yeah, the manager said something close to twenty-six hundred yen?"

"A month?" Yugi nodded, so Yami turned to the paper, and began to write.

Interested at what Yami was writing, Yugi scooted closer, and looked over the upside down paper. There were a lot of numbers, and Yami was concentrated on them all, trying to do some equations. Seeing how focused Yami was, Yugi opted to stay quiet.

_Twenty-six a month isn't a whole_ _lot_ Yami thought as he jotted down sums, adding his mother's inheritance to the paper _Though, it is a part-time job, so that's to be expected. Still, there's not much in the way of splitting it. Even if I split his wage in half, that's not really enough to keep me going, nor would it be useful for Yugi either. A-As a landlord, I gotta make sure that Yugi has enough money to buy things for himself, and enough for me to survive on. But…with this small wage…that doesn't really seem plausible…_

Yami spun the pen in his hand, looking over the quick equations he had done. Nothing seemed to be working out "Um" Yami lifted his head to Yugi "How much money would you like to have?"

"Eh? Me?" Yugi queried.

"Yeah. You know…uh…for buying…things…"

"Like what?"

"I, uh, I-I don't know. Is there…things you need to buy…?"

Yugi stared at Yami, causing him to become unnerved at the lingering and plain gaze Yugi gave, which only shifted briefly to look over the paper once again.

"You can have all of it".

"Eh?"

"My wage, you can have all of it. Twenty-six a month will be my rent" Yugi then smiled brightly "Right?"

"W-Wait! Wait! I-I can't accept your whole pay!" Yami reasoned "You would have worked so hard for it! A-And it's just…a-a little…!"

"But, I have nothing I want to buy" Yugi explained simply "Everything I need is in this house. We eat together so I don't need to buy my own meals, and my room is already furnished, so there's nothing I need to buy. Though" Yugi put a finger to his lip as he thought "I'll need new clothes…it'll be awkward going to work in these".

Yami looked over to Yugi _I hardly noticed he's been wearing the same clothes. Gross._

"My point is" Yugi continued "You've already provided me with everything, and we get along so well, I want to help out as much as possible. So, I'd rather all my money be spent on things that'll help this house and you, then me having money that I don't need. So, I don't mind giving it all to you".

_There's a word for this_ Yami thought _Slavery? No. Plundering? No. There's a word that fits this situation perfectly. Something…negative._

With a sigh, Yami turned to the paper, and began writing again "I'll…make a deal" Yugi tilted his head to show he was interested "If…you really want to give me your whole wage, then…w-well…I can buy you some clothes…f-for your work".

Yugi clasped his hands together "Really?"

"I-It's the least I can do" Yami reasoned "A-And if you ever need money again. W-Well…I don't really want to give you the account details, but…you can…ask me and…I-I can get some for you".

"Thank you Yami! You're so kind!"

Yami turned his head away flustered, idly playing with the pen in hand _He's so easily pleased._

As promised, Yami sought to buy Yugi some clothes, through the internet on his computer. Yugi seemed rather fascinated with the idea of internet shopping, so let Yami deal with all the details, while he observed with interest. Again, with his childlike innocent naivety, Yami had to question where Yugi had been before living with him.

A few days passed, and Monday came about, as well as the first day of work for Yugi. It started out like any other morning; after Yami changed, he headed downstairs, and found Yugi already cooking breakfast for the two. After going through a week of living with Yugi, however, Yami had gradually began to accept that when he woke up, Yugi would be there to greet him. It was a strange idea to get used to, but he had little choice to it.

"Morning" Yami greeted, and moved to his seat ready.

"Good morning!" Yugi replied happily. He took a few moments to serve up the food before bringing Yami's breakfast over to him "Today is my first day!"

"Ah, yeah, it is" Yami said, and noted that Yugi was wearing one of the new outfits they had bought, glad that it actually fit considering Yugi was unsure of what his sizes were.

Yugi quickly hurried back to the kitchen to collect his own breakfast, and once he was sat down, the pair began to eat. Yugi ate quickly, seemingly out of excitement, and downed the whole breakfast in a matter of minutes. But with good manners, Yugi kept seated, waiting until Yami had finished first. But being the only one to remain eating made Yami nervous, and unconsciously began to eat slower.

"Hey, Yami, is it okay to ask you something?" Yugi queried.

"Mm, sure" Yami said.

"Well…what's your job?"

The contents of Yami's stomach turned hard instantly. Though he had frozen stiff, he could feel the hairs on the back his neck stand, sending a cold shiver down his spine. To hide any signs that it was a difficult question, Yami kept his gaze down, forcing it down to his food so he did not have to lock eyes with Yugi.

_What can I say?_ Yami thought _What should I say? I-I don't have a job but…wouldn't that sound weird to him? To not have a job and all…but what kind of lie can I tell him? There's nothing I can think of that would sound reasonable! So…I have to tell him the truth, but that's…that's…_

"Ah! The time!" Yugi jumped up from the chair, startling Yami out of his thoughts, as he gathered up the remains of his breakfast and brought them back to the kitchen "Sorry Yami! But I have to be off! Don't want to be late and all!"

"N-No it's fine…" Yami reassured, waiting until Yugi sped past him and to the front door to round in his chair "Uh! G-Good luck!"

"Thanks!" Yugi called back, tapping his shoes in place, before opening the door "See you later Yami!"

Once Yugi shut the door behind him, the house fell quiet once more.

Yami waited a few moments, worried that Yugi would come barging back in, claiming he forgot something in his haste. But when utter silence settled around him, Yami sighed, and rested his head in one hand.

_That was close!_ He thought exhausted _I didn't know what to tell him, I guess that was lucky._

_Yami then slid his hand down to his face, covering one eye with his hand, as he let the other examine his breakfast, abandoned in front of him Why do I even care anyway? He's bound to find out sooner or later…I can't stop him from feeling disgusted by it. So I should tell him anyway, get it out of the way._

With another sigh, Yami picked up the fork, attempting to eat his breakfast again _Despite that I…I just don't want him to know…_

It took Yugi a while to reach the store, but due to his rushing around, he ended up reaching the store with perfect timing. Given a brief moment to catch his breath back, the manager welcomed Yugi to the shop and gave him a brief overview of the kind of work Yugi would be expected to do, before introducing him to his new co-workers.

"Alright you two, come here for a sec" The manager called to the two other guys, before patting Yugi's back "This is our new recruit, Yugi. Take care of him for the first few days, show him around and all. Yugi, this is Joey and Tristan" He introduced, pointing to the two respectively.

"Hi! It's very nice to meet you! I'm Yugi, please take care of me from now on!" Yugi said and rounded it off with a bow.

"Huh, so polite" Tristan commented.

"And short" Joey added, only to receive a slight push from Tristan.

"Alright, all of you get along now, we are open now" The manager ushered the three away to start work.

As Yugi walked away, he was quickly followed by Joey "So, Yugi, you're here part-time?"

"Yes" Yugi responded.

Joey gave a small chuckle "You could just say yeah you know?"

"Oh, yeah".

Another chuckle "Must be pretty desperate to get a small time job like this. Couldn't find anything better?"

"Ah, well, everything else required grades" Yugi explained "I don't have any grades to get a higher up job".

"No grades?" Tristan repeated as he poked his head out from an aisle.

Joey turned around to give him a scolding frown "Oi, oi, you shouldn't be eavesdropping on people's conversations".

"I wasn't" Tristan protested as he regrouped with the two. He turned his attention away from Joey, and back to Yugi "Yugi, are you saying you've never been to school?"

"Oh, well, is that odd?"

"Er, yeah, kind of" Joey answered.

Yugi deliberated his response and looked away in thought "Mm, well, perhaps I lost my grades? I know the basics so…I think that should be fine, right?"

Joey and Tristan shared a look of confusion, but picking up the feel that Yugi did not want to discuss the topic further, shrugged their shoulders and moved on.

"So, are you from around here?" Joey continued to probe.

"Oh, no, I just moved here".

"I see. Where you from then?"

"Mm…far away?"

"How far away are we talking about?" Tristan queried "The next town over or…?"

Yugi pondered for a moment, eyes moving to the ceiling "Um…quite far up north…I suppose…"

"North huh? You don't sound like you have a northern accent" Joey noted.

"Hehe, maybe I'm super lucky then!"

Joey gave another chuckle and shook his hand "Alright, I'm convinced. You're an oddball Yug".

Yugi laughed at the comment again, and proceeded to talk with the two before they decided to do some work.

Sat at home, Yami had moved up to his room to play one of his various games, hoping that time would pass by quicker if his eyes were glued to the screen. After slaying a group of monsters, Yami could not help but check the time quickly; twenty minutes to three. Yugi would be home soon, and with that thought, Yami returned to his game.

_I wonder how Yugi's first day went_ Yami thought to himself, tapping one of the buttons on his controller _Probably had a lot of work. This is the first time I've had to wait for someone to come back home for a while. Maybe I should have something ready for when he comes home?_

As he moved on to the next level, he tried to rack his brain for an idea. He recalled the times when his mother would return from work, and having felt guilty for how exhausted she looked each day, he would offer to make her tea or to help out with the dinner. Every time she had referred to Yami as a life saver, though he never thought so himself, so he thought that perhaps Yugi would feel the same way if Yami did the same thing.

Yami shook his head and proceeded on with the game _No, no, that's stupid. Yugi would think I'm an idiot doing something like that. It'd just look like I'm pleasing for praise._

As Yami played a little further, he sighed, paused the game and put the controller aside _It's…the thought that'll count…right?_

It did not take long after three for the front door to open, and Yugi bounced inside, shutting it behind him and taking his shoes off.

"I'm back!" Yugi called out.

"Welcome back" He heard Yami respond, and as the voice came from the kitchen, Yugi followed its sound obediently.

Yugi jumped into the kitchen "Hey! How've you-?" Yugi stopped as he watched Yami stand by the kettle "What are you doing?"

"Uh…just…making some tea" Yami explained, a hand already reaching up to rub the back of his neck "I-I thought…you might…you know…a-appreciate it…after a long day and all…"

Yugi smiled at the muttering answer and walked closer, standing by Yami's side, and watch him prepare the drinks "That sounds perfect. Thank you Yami".

"A-Anytime" Yami mumbled.

Once Yami had poured out the tea, Yugi took his designated cup, and gave it a sip. He gave a shiver and smiled brightly up at Yami.

"This tastes delicious!" Yugi complimented, and took another sip to prove his point.

"Ah…thanks" Yami said, drinking his own as he moved from the kitchen to the living room.

Yugi followed him like a happy child, and sat down at the table with Yami, drinking the tea all the while.

"My first day was really great!" Yugi said.

"Oh, really?" Yami responded.

"Mmhmm! It was a little hard, I couldn't lift the boxes up because they were so heavy, but, the manager thinks I'd be good behind the counter because I have a good attitude".

"Well…good".

Yugi paused to take a drink before carrying on "And the people I work with are super nice too! They're called Joey and Tristan".

"Really?"

"Yeah! Joey's nice and really funny too, he's always making jokes and doing funny things. He's kind of got this big brother feel to him. And Tristan is really nice and polite too; really mature, just like a big brother!" Yugi then paused, looking into his cup briefly, before looking back up "That doesn't sound odd does it?"

"No, I understand you" Yami reassured.

Yugi smiled, and with another sip, began talking again "And the manager is really nice too. He's expecting good work from me, I'm lucky he took me in, apparently grades mean something when applying for jobs".

As Yugi continued to chatter on excitedly, Yami listened intently, taking odd sips from his tea now and then. As he talked, Yugi had the largest smile on his face, larger than any Yami had ever seen. And the way he spoke affectionately about his first day at work suggested he truly enjoyed his first day.

_He's so easily pleased_ Yami thought to himself _Though, I suppose it's normal be like this after your first day. It's…nice. Reassuring. I could get used to this._

"_Well…what's your job?"_

Yami then shied his face away, pretending to take a large gulp out of his tea to hide his expression. _That is normal…so…I suppose I'm not normal…because I won't be able to work like Yugi can. Yugi…you don't realise how lucky you are, even if it is a part-time job, it's more than I could ever do. And that's just pathetic on its own._

*******************************End of chapter 3******************************

You knew I couldn't leave those two out for long. StilltryingtosquishTristaninsomewhere.

Also, I believe the word Yami is looking for is extortion. I could be wrong though~

Review and stay tuned for the next chapter!


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